Bound By Tears
by kelcher
Summary: This is my version on how Cherish met her partner Nicole. I don't own any characters, but the grandmother


In A Park Resort located in Victoria, Australia, a young female with long yellow wavy hair was walking through the desert like place. Cherish was one of the 100 Mamodo children who had to fight in order to be King of their world. She wasn't a child she was 18 but they were call that for some reason. Cherish had too look for her partner so that she can use her spells to fight. She carried her small bag she brought to survive on till she finds her partner. Rest rested under a tree watching the animals running by, she reached in her bag to pulling out some meat. Cherish started her own little bon fire, sitting on a cloth she brought looking at the roasted meat. She turns it for a better taste. Not so far away, a young woman who worked as a game warden notices the smell. She turns to the direction of the fire. She patted the hoarse to move, not to fats though not to slow. She notice Cherish looking at the fire holding a fork and knife. She though she killed on of the animals. Cherish looked up seeing her. She slowly approaches Cherish while on horseback. They both looked at each other; Cherish was a little surprise to see a human while Nicole wasn't to sure about her being here eating meat.

"State your business" She asked Cherish getting off her horse.

"I'm sorry" Cherish stood up "I'm Cherish I was wondering around"

"What animal did you kill?" she asked as she kept keep the question short.

"I didn't kill anything" Cherish said in a defensive voice .

She looked at Cherish looking though her bag till she came along her spell-book. There was a glow within the book, she opens it looking at the words that were lit, she read the spell as Cherish fired small crystal's from the tips of her fingers. Cherish was a little shocked to have a partner so fast. They both turn to face each other. Nicole was amazed at what she saw.

"What are you?" she asked.

"I'm a Mamodo from the Mamodo World, 100 including myself have been sent here to battle and the last one standing is king" she put her hands behind her back] "We need to find human partners who can read our spell from that book" she pointed to the book Nicole was holding "So that means you're my partner" she explain.

Nicole couldn't believe what she heard, was it some kind of illusion? Did she eat something bad? What ever the reason was, Nicole closed the book looking at Cherish. Giving her a smile.

"Cherish If I become your partner what kind of king you want to be?" she asked.

"I never really thought about it, I never really wanted to be part of this" Cherish looked to the side "But I guess a King that shows equal rights, if they're poor or rich they get the same treatment no one is perfect".

"That shows compassion Cherish" Nicole smiles.

Cherish lightly chuckled at the human's words. She saw Nicole getting on the horse reaching her hand out for hers. Cherish reached her Nicole's hand as she was pull on the back of the horse. She snaps the horses reins to make it move. As they reached there destination, she tug on them to make the horse stop and got off. Cherish soon follow. They enter a ranger like station where Nicole punched in the clock meaning her shift is over.

"Nicole you do know that you have to leave your home and travel right?" Cherish asked her as they left the air and into the busy streets.

Nicole stop in her tracks looking at Cherish, then at the little shop that was filled with sweets. She walked in the store getting two strawberry cakes. Handing one to Cherish. Cherish looked at the cake and ate some of it.

"I thought so" looks down a bit "I can't just up and leave my job I need the money for my grandmother" Nicole told her.

Cherish looked at her partner, with the cake in her mouth. She can tell Nicole didn't look to happy about that Grandmother part, she swallow the cake.

"We don't have to leave in a hurry Nicole, if I don't mind asking, what's wrong with your grandmother?" Cherish asked her.

Nicole looked down a bit, did Cherish hit a nerve? Was this a subject that wasn't meant to be talked about she sighs a bit. Thinking of a different subject

"My grandmother" her words were soft spoken "She is dying and there is little chance of her living" Nicole said.

Cherish was quiet, she didn't want to meddle into human affairs, she just wanted to know why was Nicole her partner. To her she may never know. She watched Nicole getting up looking at Cherish, giving off a faint smile.

"Let's head back to my place it looks like it's going to storm" she said.

Cherish fellow her partner to a nice building. Cherish walked up three floors to see Nicole pulling out a key opening her door, she jester her hand to come in. Cherish walked inside the cozy room. It was a stander room, a living area, a bathroom, a kitchen, a bed room in the living room was a couch with a medium TV. Nicole took Cherish's bag and place it on the side.

"Sit I'll make us some tea" she said.

Cherish sat down on the couch, the view was amazing you can see the ocean it was so blue and clear. In the distanced storm clouds were rolling in. This almost reminded her of the Mamodo world. Nicole placed the cup on the table, the sweet scent of honey, peppermint and honey filled the room, Cherish pick up the tea cup drinking it.

"Oh wow Nicole this is good" she said to her.

"Thanks, my grandmother told me how to make it…" she looked down a bit "She was also the best Game Warden, so brave, funny and is willing to give her life up for anything, she was my teacher and more important my grandmother, we spend lots of time together My parents died while in a boat accident" she sighs.

Cherish lost her family and she raised herself, after awhile she took in children who were parentless. She looked at Nicole, giving her a smile.

"You should see her" she said.

"Will you come with me?" she asked Cherish

Without hesitation she nodded. The two girls went out in the dark storm to a hospital, she gotten flowers for her grandmother. Cherish walked by her side. The elevator, lowly went up ten floors til it stop on 14th floor. They step off. The hallway was somewhat quiet. The Nurses and Doctors passing by. Cherish saw that she was a little nervous as they reached the door. Nicole took a deep breath and enter the well lit room. Sitting in the bed looking out of the window, was her grandmother who was in a dream like state.

"Granny I'm back" she said softly.

Her grandmother turn her head to the girls, giving them a warm and welcome smile.

"Nicole, my sweet little granddaughter and who is your friend?" she asked.

"This is my friend Cherish" Nicole stated jestering her hand to come closer.

Cherish walked closer and sat next to Nicole, the room smelled like flowers and soft wind. The wind that was coming from the crack window. Cherish notice that Nicole's grandmother eyes darken a little.

"Nicole, you know I'm not long for this world and…"

"Granny don't talk like that" Nicole cut her off "Please I don't want to hear that" tears formed on her face.

Cherish didn't say a word, she just watched the two sharing a moment. The grandmother placed her hand on Nicole's hand. She kissed her fore head then looked at Cherish.

"I can tell you're not a human but a guardian to protect my little Nicole" she raised her hand a bit as it shake "Over there hand it to me please" she said.

Cherish walked over picking up a box handing it to her. The grandmother open it showing a small necklace with a crystal tied around it. She placed it around Nicole's neck. Cherish left to give them space. She sat outside of the door. Meanwhile in the room. Both Nicole and her grandmother remain silent just holding onto each other's hand. Nicole stood up while not letting go as part of her though, sat beside of her fading grandmother? The warm expression on his face said 'Please have a happy and peaceful death', but as her knees knocked together and her fingers clenched, that certainly screamed 'Don't die' more, didn't it? Her expected that she might try and act as though she was angry, like she was wounded that her grandmother would go and let herself die for the age of oldness. She was closed to her. Cherish deiced to walk back in leaning against the wall.

As she watched the grandmother eyes slowly fade, Nicole found her shaking feet shuffle closer, until she fell to her knees right in front of her grandmother. Cherish could see the shock on Nicole's face, and Nicole thought that she might just be surprised that her grandmother had come at all, but no. There was moisture running down the Nicole's face, splashing down onto the floor, a shaking hand extending to touch the woman's cheek.

"Why…?" She choked out, watching as her grandmother looked out of the window., the grandmother unable to look at the display of emotion on the usually deadpan face. "Why did you have to leave…" she didn't expect an answer, just needing to speak the words as more tears fell from her tainted eyes. When was the last time she had managed to pretend to have such a magnitude of emotions? It was hard enough to pretend to have happiness or anything along that spectrum, so why was being sad so… Easy?

"You can't leave me." Nicole said crying while still holding her hand

Dead like green eyes widened at those words, and her grandmother's head looked over to she the almost sad looking brunette; her hair was falling over her face, her eyes already red and puffy from crying, and for a moment, if it wasn't for the yellow like eyes or scarred face, her grandmother could have sworn he was looking at Nicole's true self.

"You can't leave me, Grandmother." She said again

Nicole's own eyes widened as she felt her grandmother return the gesture of touching her face, and her free hand immediately reached up to grasp it, clinging to the fading hand like her life depended on it.

"Nicole," Her grandmother breathed out, already sounding distant. "I can't leave."

Nicole's opened her mouth to protest, to tell her that she was clearly dying at the moment, but her grandmother continued.. "I'm immortal, remember?" she smirked, a weak attempted chuckle slipping through her lips.

Overcome with an explainable feeling, Nicole found herself leaning over, closing her eyes, and pressing her lips to her grandmother's forehead.

"You're my hero…" She whispered, swallowing thickly.

She opened her eyes, seeing nothing but the quiet air stood still, her body limping with a soft smile on her face. Her hands gripped the ground, final tears dripping from her eyes before she let out a spine rippling scream, it echoing throughout the halls of he hospital. Cherish keeled down beside her holding her close letting her cry. Days later after the service, Nicole and Cherish walked back to her place. Cherish looked at the picture of Nicole and her grandmother. She picked up a photo of younger Nicole and her grandmother behind them was the beach. She heard footsteps. Cherish turn to see Nicole dressed as a boy, in her arm was her spell book. Two bags by the door.

"You're mind's made up?" Cherish asked her.

"Yes" Nicole said to her.

Cherish and Nicole took two tickets and headed to the airport. Though ran through her head thinking of what could happen in this battle, but she knows one thing. Cherish is her only friend she has and didn't want to see her go.


End file.
